Fall/Winter 2007

Woman's Evening Dress: Dress and Train

Ralph Lauren began his fashion career in 1967 selling men's ties, adding menswear the following year and women's clothes in 1971; the Ralph Lauren brand has since become a lifestyle marketing empire. Inspired by the prep-school style he aspired to as a boy in the Bronx, Lauren evokes the idealized American dream, from rugged Western wear to patrician classics. His designs for women are understated and often are based on menswear. This strapless evening dress has a ribbed silk bodice shaped and pleated like a man's formal cummerbund; the sinuous skirt is given back interest by a dramatically large back bow that flows into a train.